These celebrities' explanations of the inspiration behind their looks REALLY remind me of people engaging in a class discussion on a book they never read.

I can't believe how professional designers and stylists can be THIS uncreative.

It's very on theme that Americans don't know what American culture is

“Peg the patriarchy” is just so white girlboss feminism TM

i don’t get how all these celebrities just don’t care abt fitting the theme??????? like it’s literally the MET GALA how do you not have so much fun with it

Next year they should have a dress code where any man who shows up in a black tux has to step off the red carpet and sort through the fashion bin to find something more dramatic. Highschool can do it, and so can the met.

The thing that drove me nuts about Billie Eilish's dress was that apparently nobody at Oscar de la Renta understands that you can't just scale up a sample size super lightweight bodice and expect it to behave the same on someone curvier? Like boobs have weight; she needed stronger boning and much more support in general. The way that bodice was buckling horribly on her was totally unacceptable from an established, big name designer.

The points you made about Cara's "peg the patriarchy" message are SO excellent!! She made it into a r*pe joke and it just came across as homophobic and feeding into the idea that penetration is the ultimate power, which is part of what makes patriarchy work... BUT, even worse, "Peg the Patriarchy" is a trademarked slogan owned by a small business owner, Luna Matatas, who has come forward to say that she did not give permission for Dior or Cara to use her phrase AND Cara misrepresented the meaning behind it!

The fact that no one referenced Dolly Parton is sacrilege. Though Quannah's mix of navajo jewelry with a dress that also looked disco inspired was so wonderful.

They shouldn’t call it a theme, they should call it dress code and anybody who doesn’t give a reasonable explanation how their outfit fit that code doesn’t get in.

Thank you for shouting out Quannah Chasinghorse!! As an indigenous woman myself, seeing her at the MET GALA seemed so unreal. We’ve been treated like we’re invisible for decades & im glad people are starting to see the beauty in our culture ❤️

I really expected to see a lot of hippie inspired outfits considering how much effect it had on the American art culture. Alos one of the people who really followed the theme right but aren’t getting much credit is Lorde. She looked gorgeous with that creamy silk custom piece that was an ode to America’s arts and crafts movement. It also gave me hippie vibes for its simplicity. But still looked extravagant

For an entire theme based on America, which has one of the most well documented history's in the world and giant amounts of pop culture references, its almost impressive, how everything turned out soo boring or out of theme.

Fun Fact: Before learning more about the met gala I never knew they had themes. It never occurred to me cause I from what I saw I never were able to make a connection to anything particular and no one looked like they are designing their outfits towards one theme haha

Just me who thinks Lana Del Rey would have absolutely SLAYED that Americana theme? It’s literally her aesthetic it’s such a bummer she didn’t attend

Is it just me that gets frustrated that almost all the men show up in plain tuxedos and the women have got so much pressure too look beautiful in amazing and creative dresses/outfits?

I'm so disappointed that there were no Dolly homage looks. Everyone loves to talk about how Dolly is an American icon until it COUNTS.

As for Kendall choosing Audrey for inspo: there is nothing more American than assuming that everything is, by default, American.

i would love to add CL from 2ne1, she's slayed the look with her hanbok denim gown, hanbok is korean traditional gown, and denim clearly is an american thing, and to add that she look so gorgeous

It’s really funny that the “America” theme meant rich white people to Kendall Jenner 😭😭😭

I just didn't understand why literally 4 people or less actually followed the theme xD I miss the 2018 met gala where people actually understood the assignment

The fact that there were no Jackie Kennedy inspired looks is astonishing. She’s such a cornerstone of American fashion and pop culture!

I feel so relieved someone else wasn’t raving about Billie Eilish. I thought the hair was terrible. It is criminal to age a young person that much just with a terrible blow out.

I have two interpretations of Lil Nas X's look besides the explanation he gave. The first is the story of American independence (shedding the royal robe, armor for the american revolution, the jumpsuit for freedom). My second interpretation is that he is dressed as iconic American figures: Liberace, C-3PO, and Elvis Presley. Liberace was gay, C-3PO was based on a gay friend of George Lucas, and there were rumors that Elvis was in a relationship with his friend Nick Adams. So if that was his inspiration that would be very smart of him lol.

Someone said that not following a given theme was indeed very American so they were all pretty on-brand lol

I was disappointed there was no homage to Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock or American Gothic, I feel like that would've been SO beautiful to conceptualize into a dress.

I'm not proud of the fact that Kim K's Formal Void look was thematically my favorite. Like, approaching this theme, I too probably would have been like "THIS country? Extreme funeral wear."

I would like to thank you for mentioning Quannah Chasinghorse, for an event with an “american” theme they lacked indigenous representation

I hadn't even thought about the 'implied violence' angle of cara's look but your analysis was so right. I initially didn't like it because it felt corny and hollow but couldn't really put my finger on why it felt so hollow. I'm so glad you mentioned Quannah Chasinghorse! Her look was by far my favorite of the night, between the beautiful aesthetic and its interpretation of the american theme

This literally just goes to show how almost none of them did their history. Most of the clothes weren't American inspired or made, which goes to show how much America just absorbs other cultures into their fashion.

The only look I personally liked was Quannah Chasinghorse's. She was absolutely gorgeous and I loved everything about her dress, from the style to the inspiration.

If Lana attended she would’ve absolutely bodied this theme it’s literally her aesthetic

Are we even surprised many of the attendees did not follow the theme? Aside from the occasional black and white theme of a big party in Hollywood, celebrities tend not to dress to theme, but more to show off their opulence by wearing outfits from the most "fashionable" (read: expensive) designers, paired with jewelry encrusted in precious gemstones that rival the price tag of their dress or tux. It's really just a place for them to show off their absurd wealth.

thankkkkk you for your point about the "peg the patriarchy" thing!! when i saw that outfit i was so confused at first because I went "wait, you want the patriarchy to have a good time? you want to give it sexual pleasure?" and then i realized it was meant to imply that pegging is humiliating or degrading for the receiver, which is ironically a super un-feminist message.

Love her take on the 'peg the patriarchy' look. A lot of people thought it came across more as a threat of rape than empowering for women. The fact she said stick it to the man says enough. A lot of other people reviewing the met gala looks just said it was funny or made jokes. It's upsetting and I wish she got more backlash for this because it flopped so badly and it just seemed incredibly malicious.

Someone could've walked in with Aeropstale and Birkenstocks with puka shell necklaces and bracelets, and honestly would've understood the assignment more than 95 percent of the attendees.

Nikkietutorial's tribute to Marsha P Johnson was gorgeous, heartfelt, and full of reverence. Loved it, and not enough people are talking about it

It's really frustrating how everyone seemed to miss the mark. I can think of hundreds of options to build your look around; Denim, the Southwest, football, cheerleaders, baseball, cowboys, the landscapes, astronauts, even your home town/city, Country, the Old West, the Gold Rush, Superheroes, Street wear, Hippie movement, Beatniks, Surfing, Skating, Blues, Vintage Hollywood... It seemed like everyone just disregarded the theme.

actually i think that kim k was quite following the theme because even tho she masked her entire face, her body shape is STILL recognizable, we still know this is kim k because SHE is part of a certain american sub-culture (contemporary admittedly, but she is american and she marked and transformed beauty standards (by doing blackshing and middle eastern fishing but thats an another topic..) and thus the fashion industry).

I was so excited for you to talk about the Peg the Patriarchy look. I follow a lot of sex workers on social media, a few of them are educators and I've learned so much from them (and UNlearned). One of my favorites (stripperwriter) basically said the same thing. Pegging is just another form of sex. It's not something you to do take over someone else, and exactly as you said, the whole penetration as control thing is from the patriarchy! Thank you so much for this thoughtful review of the looks, I learned a lot!

UGH I completely agree about Billie's dress - yes, the silhouette is dramatic but the tulle in that specific beige on her skin washes her out AND any detailing on the dress like the stitching on the corset. It's also boring to me because there's no texture, and it's cute and fun but certainly not a jaw dropping spectacle of fashion. If anything, I suspect a lot of the hype about how good she looks is the residual shock that Billie can indeed do whatever the f*** she wants, but honestly at this point, her choosing to wear a dress shouldn't be a big deal on it's own merit.

Also I’m pissed at most of men there who didn’t even try at one of the most renown events in fashion history. I miss men like Bowie and Prince who weren’t afraid to cross gender boundaries and truly shock people. That’s what fashion is all about

A statement I really agreed with was about Kim K’s look; she was covered from head to toe to an event where people would expect her to show her body. Regardless, EVERYONE knew who she was. it just shows how much her silhouette has influenced American media. Her body is literally the epitome of America, atleast now. plus it’s Kim kardashian, that whole family built their wealth off of a sex tape. Now THAT is american

I think the reason that this years Gala pissed me off so much is because of how many attendees did NOT follow such an easy theme. Also how "influencers" like Addison Rae were invited and it brings down the exclusivity and classiness of the event. Edited bc Charli wasn't even invited bc she's not 18, my bad

I'm surprised cowboys (or frontier), Italian-American mafia, pirates, literally anything associated with "the American Dream" (1950s nuclear family, immigration, etc.) was not more prominent in this year's Met Gala. As a non-American, these are the things I think of first when I picture American fashion history. Everyone had SO MUCH to work with and they flopped.

im so glad you pointed out the "peg the patriarchy" thing, im gay and it struck me as homophobic but most critics didn't understand enough to point out the misogynistic/homophobic implications

My favourite by far was Lili Reinhart and it was so inventive it was literally a dress covered in every state flower like nobody killed the theme as much as Lili did.

Since you mentioned how pivotal jean/denim was in american fashion, I definitely think CL was one of the best looks of the night (in terms of both theme & style)

The theme was American fashion and Kim came as the great depression

I would have LOVED to see Lana at this met gala. This was HER theme 😭

With regards to Cara’s look ‘Peg the Patriarchy’ is a movement trademarked and founded in 2015 by Luna Matatas and yet again a big designer ripped off an independent creator, diluted the meaning behind it and gave zero credit - *sigh*

Thank you so much for saying “enslaved people” rather than “slaves” they weren’t slaves they were people ❤️

No one is talking about how Olivia Rodrigo said her inspiration was american punk rock music and she thinks Saint Laurent did a great job representing it. I literally can't stop thinking about it, like where is the punk?

I wish more of these people would actually do more research, why do Americans always assume everything is American? There's some beautiful fashion history in America as well as beautiful fashion icons, I'd love to see people do looks based on them and actually doing things properly. It's really frustrating that people just assume all fashion icons are American

i do wanna talk about elliot page's outfit because, as someone who's transmasc, it was So Refreshing to see someone also transmasc on the red carpet. usually when it comes to trans excellency, transwomen hold the spotlight. a lot of people Really hated elliot's outfit because it could be viewed as a normal black tuxedo, but i adored it for its simplicity. it felt like a narrative of the trans experience, and even had an ode to oscar wilde (who i will say- not american but still nice to involve queer history). the ill-fitting suit was supposed to reference a teen boy's first homecoming dance or prom, where he rents or borrows a suit and it doesn't fit quite right. those dances and high school experiences are extremely american, and given this is elliot's first time on a red carpet since he began his transition, the feeling of being a young boy trying to be formal for the first time is commentary on the trans experience. idk, i just Really adored the simplicity and quiet statements elliot made. also, i think this goes without saying- nikki absolutely Killed it with her tribute to marsha p. johnson. the dress was stunning, and especially considering nikki isn't american and was so unbelievably on theme? we love to see it. by far, she was my favorite met gala outfit this year.

Why is literally anyone talking about Nikkie's outfit?! It was just PERFECT - and had a good inspiration

As an European I feel like Americans, in this case American celebrities, really associate big important gala events with European royal events. I mean, generally speaking, these kinds of events always include large trains, capes, opulent jewellery, with large precious stones, fur, velvet, sometimes even tiaras, etc. To me, these are not american dress code characteristics but rather royal European ones. America never had monarchies and aristocracy so I feel like this is America's way of having a little taste of it (as in very rich famous individuals dressing fancy for an event, except they are not royal, they are pop celebrities). That explains why, when important themed events happen (like the MET gala) american celebrities have such a hard time following the theme and, instead, just dress fancy. I've never been to the USA but when I think of the country what immediately comes to my mind is MCDonald's, Coca-Cola, old Hollywood and noir movies (femme fatale), pop art like Andy Warhol, the hippies in the 60s and Woodstock, 50's fashion (saddle shoes, blue jeans and leather jackets, the highshchool girl stereotype), american diners and milkshakes, cowboys, WW2 american fashion, the american flag and eagles. Not huge diamond necklaces and ball gowns and capes. Not to mention how men at this year's MET gala totally missed the chance to dress like Elvis Presley... Anyway, love your content Mina!

“Peg the Patriarchy” definitely feels like it was chosen because of alliteration without considering any of the subtext it brings with it

I liked Grimes look the best! It was so elegant and unique. As for the theme,, she did say it was Dune inspired, an American book. Also sci-fi kinda fits because America's space race in the 60s.

When I heard this year's theme, I was excited to see how celebrities would take inspiration from the American culture as it is so diverse and has evolved so much over the years. They could've made references to artists, music genres, architecture, sports... Yet, most of them decided to go for the most generic looks and tried to give a last-minute explanation to why they were on-theme. My favorite was definitely Quannah Chasinghorse's.

Omg this point about Cara’s “peg the patriarchy” look is so excellent I can’t even. Something about the statement rubbed me wrong that I couldn’t identity, and Mina hit the nail on the head.

The met gala would be much cooler if they showcased more independent artists and allowed people who actually care about the themes to come

cara’s outfit was so annoying, and i am so happy mina talked about it! it is a recurring theme amongst white women to often use very shallow phrases like “peg the patriarchy” or “girls support girls” that often push dangerous rhetoric, and hurt women of color often.

this year's met gala reminded me of my senior prom where the theme was gatsby, and i was the only one who showed up in a flapper dress :/

Lil Nas actually had the perfect outfit if he just interpreted it differently. Firstly shaking off the oppression of King George the third and the revolutionary war, secondly the overwhelming presence of America’s military around the world and the use of reduction of simple rights (higher education, healthcare etc) to force underprivileged people into the military. And the last outfit showing that people are progressing and allowing everyone to have the freedom to be themselves. He just talked a whole heap of crap when asked the inspiration.

I wish people talked more about CL’s unexpected attendance. Her ensemble was beautiful and the way she incorporated korean heritage was magnificent

Billie's dress was gorgeous, but I wasn't in love with the peach colour. I know it's her new theme, but I would have been blown away by a blood-red or even a navy colour

I'm so upset there was no western wear look. As a texan, western wear can be so classy, sexy, and opulent when done properly. As a Latina, western wear is such a big part of Mexican American and it would've been so cool to see it at the Met

I didn’t think Billie’s look was that spectacular either tbh. She looks great, but I don’t think she “saved the met gala” like a lot of people are saying 😬

One of my favorites was A$AP Rocky’s quilted coat. Funny enough I think his look was much more on theme than Rihanna’s. Quilting is a huge part of American history and African-American history as well. The designer, ERL, mentioned how they took fabric from lots of different sources, like vintage fabrics, scraps and even their own father’s bathrobe to make the piece. This is exactly how quilting came to be and I think it’s a great artistic reference.

UUGH lil nas x’s look could’ve fit the theme so perfectly, had he made the three outfits analogous not only to to the journey he’s had in his career but the progression of America over time. He could’ve done the monarchy that controlled America, the revolution sprung up from new ideals of freedom, and the later degradation of those ideals(although I don’t think that would be too well excepted at an event as bourgeois as the met gala). He could’ve done pre-modern, modern and then post-modern in a similar way to what I just described, something that was inspired by the role that African slaves played(perhaps the king, the revolutionary, and the revolutionary’s slave who made the entire thing work by singlehandedly upholding the economy), there are just so many interesting directions he could’ve taken this idea, especially considering the theme and it made me so bummed that it was so simple!

One of my favourites was Nikkietutorials' Dress. Dress was Was a tribute to Marsha p. Johnson 😍 I almost cried it was so amazing and wholesome!

I adored Nikkie’s outfit. Her Marsha P Johnson reference was stunning.

The hair is what ruined Billie’s look for me. I didn’t like the color palette with her skin tone but it was forgivable. The warm tones in her hair combined with said palette and her skin tone, it didn’t do it for me. Regardless, she still looks beautiful. I wouldn’t have gone in that direction. Though I’m definitely no designer.

All of your takes were spot on, you articulated everything I felt. My favorite looks were Lupita N’yongo, Quannah Chasinghorse, Ciara, and Simu Liu.

Im not even American but when I heard the theme so many Ideas came straight to my head cuz there’s so much stuff you could do so I was genuinely excited to see how the „big celebs“ did it, only to be disappointed pretty badly Especially dressing in brands, designers and as people who aren’t even American really just sealed the deal for me

if you’re rich and can’t dress, it’s a waste. really. i don’t even know what 2 say 💀

When that actress told the reporter that she's wearing Chanel and that was her inspiration, several brain cells called quits.

can we talk how and why Lana wasn't there tho her whole aesthetic is America and being American wtf

You really changes my opinion on these looks. At first I was so confused about why you didn’t like some of them, but after you explained why, I can totally see why-

The fact that Lana didn’t go to it this year when this theme WAS HER THEME TO SHINE ON makes me so sad

I adored Nikkietutorial's look. She looked absolutely gorgeous and she paid tribute to such an amazing icon like Marsha P. Johnson

The Navajo model and Navajo Themed Gown made me feel so happy. Especially seeing somebody think Native American when tasked with making an american look

Lil Nas X. He should have explained that the clothes were representative of the American revolution. The first look is royalty, stemming from the ENglish monarchy ruling over the colonies. Then the armour is representative of the period of war the revolutionaries had between each other and the monarchy. And the third one could be I guess modern America. This is just an interpretation.

I wish someone did a twist on the all well known pinup housewife trope that America was pushing for years, an over the top ROCKABILLY dress, going to extreme with the silhouette for example? like i would've LOVED that so much, i was quite disappointed when nobody showed up full on housewife stereotype? would also exquisitely showcase the oppression of women in that day and age as well... so much untapped potential

I'm so grateful you put a finger on what was wrong with billies hair, I couldn't seem to figure out why I felt it didn't match

I didn't personally like Lil Nas X's outfits, but i was just heavily amused by the sheer boldness of it, plus his twitter posts lol

Billie’s look just felt “you could do better” like I felt the dress could’ve been a better colour if she was going for holiday Barbie I wish she went for a more bold colour. Generally I wish people went more bold, even if someone wants to wear a suit maybe have it be a different colour or material, or a cut that’s more unique like an asymmetrical hem, I don’t hate a black suit but what bothers me is when it’s just plain, Eugene Lee Yang’s look was a pretty plain suit (because his dress fell through) but he added enough to it that it upped the look

I LOVE what you said about "peg the patriarchy," I saw a lot of my friends celebrating this as feminism, but I just got the sense they all associate pegging with emasculation

I saw Caras outfit before and didn’t even realise the messed up message behind it, thanks for bringing that up! I personally took it as an encouragement for changing the power dynamic between genders but what you said made me see it in a complitely different light

Genuinely wish more of the men would do literally anything. Lil Nas x really shows everyone how to do that, even if it's not entirely on theme

If billie’s hair was properly styled and the gown was not beige it would’ve been a thousand times better. I do appreciate she went for drama tho, one of the few.

I’m honestly surprised that no one did a reference to Jessica Rabbit

Your critique was thoughtful, informed, and spot-on. You put into words some things that I FELT about the Met Gala this year but hadn’t fully formed into concrete ideas. Great work!

I dont care about fashion that much but I love your videos. You approach fashion with so much reverence and i always end up educated by your videos.

it literally feels so embarrassing that some of these celebrities (or well, their stylists?) didn't even do some basic research for their looks. it's a huge event... how can you mess something like that up. i don't get it, how did no one even TELL them it's not even accurate to the theme

honestly i think they should have gone with a more specific theme. praying for a horror-themed met gala next year 🙏

I felt so bad hating on Grimes’s fit when I watched the voice video of her getting ready, she looked great and there’s a lot of super interesting details that are related to America. Anyways, love love love these videos. Mina, you always kill it.

For someone new to your channel that first second gave me such whiplash😭😭

I absolutely LOVED Lupita Nyong'o's look. I thought the denim gown was executed beautifully. Maybe wearing denim for American culture is a bit cliche, but when it's done so well it hits perfectly